Putin also claimed that Zelensky’s European allies have pushed for demands that are “absolutely unacceptable."

Officials are accusing Russia of smaller-scale assaults. President Vladimir V. Putin sought to turn the tables, saying that if Europe were to start a war, Russia is ready.

The European Union agreed Wednesday to phase out Russian natural gas imports by late 2027 as part of an effort to end the bloc’s decade-long dependency on Russian energy.

So-called transshipment services — whereby ports offer long-term "slots" for liquefied natural gas (LNG) suppliers to unload or reload cargoes for shipping elsewhere — are still legal under the newly agreed EU-wide ban on Russian gas imports, provided the gas they contain is not from Russia.

Several top Ukrainian officials were expected to be in Brussels on Wednesday for meetings with European national security advisers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Indian media that Moscow would seize the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine “in any case,” including by military means, according to Russian state media, digging in on one of his key demands as Ukrainian officials prepare for another round of peace talks which have yet to yield a deal.

The European Union's plans to phase out Russian natural gas imports by 2027 will impact some member nations more than others, due to wide country variance in gas dependence and differing abilities to switch suppliers to other origins.

Diplomatic tensions escalate as Putin reportedly dismisses peace terms while former Russian president warns EU over frozen assets amid ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said war with Europe is 'inevitable' and accused the West of 'deliberately' preparing for an armed conflict with Vladimir Putin

The European Union is closing in on a deal to phase out Russian fossil fuels, a move that will embed into law the end of the bloc’s reliance on its former top energy supplier.

Developed by Canada's Neo Performance Materials, Europe's largest rare earths facility sits in Estonia's border city of Narva.